A common concern of educational choice programs relates to the challenges that district schools face in responding to changes in funding associated with changes in student enrollment. Fortunately, there are numerous resources for school officials to help them manage their budgets. Here are a few:
Student-centered funding, student-based budgeting, backpack funding, … a concept known by many names, it is the idea of directly funding students and families, so every dollar follows each student to the educational setting of their parents’ choosing.
A growing share of public K-12 expenditures is retirement benefits for teachers and other public K-12 workers. These rising costs, stemming from rising unfunded liabilities, are threatening to crowd out resources that could be used more directly for students’ education.